Corneliu
Primarily played by: WarriorsWay
Corneliu Balan was sired January 12, 1259 to an unknown member of Clan Tzimisce in his home land of Transylvania.
He was in his early fifties when sired having had a full life already and many descendants. He was chosen intentionally due to his inquisitive mind that always wanted to know more of their unique condition and "Curse". A scholar he spent many of his years, decades after decades moving around to other lands in order to hear from other vampires and learn all he could on them.
Yet some clans eluded him and his attempts to document them in his assorted journals he kept in the large near castle he called home.
He preferred to study the powers of the mind as well as strengthen his body. Pouring more of his time into Auspex and Dominate as well as Fortitude which he learned whilst in the presence of some of the Truer of Brujah blood. When he was midway through his 200th year of undeath he discovered something... Some form of affliction that effected his clan in particular.
He discovered a "Path of Enlightenment" that unlike a mere road to prevent the beast's control, it seemed infectious. Spreading like a disease through blood of the corrupted or use of his clan's power Vicissitude.
One he never took interest in. He saw no need to mutilate and violate his or the bodies of others in some warped pursuit of perfection.
Such a hedonistic display of pleasure from it made him ill to the core. This made him focus his efforts to find a way to understand and stamp out this "path", taking any who showed signs of being the Corrupted to experiment on in his castle. Seeing what they do when held captive, how fast infection spreads, and what can stop it.
A unique thing he noticed was an almost compulsive need to change themselves or others constantly. Almost as if addicted. Much like an alcoholic they begin to show signs of withdrawals going as far as to mutilate their own forms to stave it off. The first few nights in captivity they seem rather normal. As a caged animal, yes. But not as feral as they appeared in three nights time. He tried binding them so that they could not activate their gift only for some of his subjects to use their own rib bones to forcibly torpor themselves unable to cope with the lack of use and the growing whispers they muttered of.
Eventually he noticed that the "Corrupted" must be sending some kind of signal out to others of their own in the area. He kept near getting ambushed when he left his fortified walls. Eventually turning to his ghouls and servants for sustaining himself while he planned. Eventually settling on creating many childer. Enough to swarm and destroy his pursuers in a frenzied state. It was immoral, he knew this but decided he would take those who no one would miss or care about. Drifters. Travelers. Foreigners to the surrounding villages. Women of the Night. And orphaned young men. He gathered many, the last one being a fisherman's boy in a nearby village who had no family to speak of and he already knew was living on very little day to day.
Regrettably after taking his life he noticed a familiar trinket belonging to his late wife he had passed to his Daughter, who passed it to her Granddaughter, and her to her daughter and continuing to be on the neck of this boy. He decided against letting it interrupt his work instead having a funeral painting made for him by one of his ghouls and him buried in the basement with the rest. To wake and kill the others. He made the choice that if his Descendant rose last, he would take him and train him. Hiding close enough to watch the invaders be slain. Yet to his horror his dazed final childe not only killed, but diablerized one of the corrupted in his frenzied state. Damning him in his eyes. It was then he wrote out and left a note. A note telling that his childe if he lives is damned and to take his own life as existing would be more painful and cruel for him.
This Childe chased him for many centuries, Corneliu doing his best to keep him pushed back or unable to find him. Spending a hundred years free before being found again in London. It was there that he had a mage curse that trinket. The one found on his childe when he killed him, and forced it around his neck when they fought. He left him the message that the poison of the Ancients in his blood was spreading and would claim him soon. And if there was any mercy left in the world for him. Someone would relieve him of the locket and his head along with it.
After the Hell he experienced in London, then in Germany, then fleeing back to Transylvania to study further into the Koldunic arts. He eventually went to America where he spent time in the New World. Once here he established himself as a scholar as well as assisting with a Theatre that preserved old stories and texts in the basement levels.(edited)
During all this time inbetween dodging his past mistake he learned more of the Antediluvians. Unfortunately most of his clan he met had turned to the Sabbat which he loathed. Nothing more than animals reveling in the death and debauchery he thought... It was during this time that his childer began to go missing... Near any he sired. As well as his ghouls. Eventually he chose to turn a young boy of a ghoul named Leon that he had kept close to run errands for him. A scrappy Orphan he had found. Unfortunately his new favorite to teach of the Noddist and ancient texts eventually ran into his sibling by sire. Being added to the corrupted by teaching him Vicissitude. There was a confrontation where the collected limbs of his missing childer were used to warp Corneliu into something hideous. Something of a furnishing ornament. With the arms of those he lost.
He spent a few decades trapped in this form, being taken place to place with his Childe.. His childe who had thought him to be bonded descended into the Sabbat, rising in the ranks for this time. Corneliu hated this, and even more hated being trapped in this form, unable to return to his normal body. The year was 2017 when one of his Childe's Sabbat friends took notice of the growing odd behavior from His Childe, now calling himself "Fiend". The pack was not filled completely with fools, one eventually using their power to speak with him. This Gangrel with Corneliu's instruction went on a journey, returning in 2018 with knowledge on what to do about their Asakku problem. At this time the Black Hand was also in town intent on destroying or looking into the rumors of a "Corrupted" in power. As such a thing would risk the work they planned.
He assisted with letting them into the Haven, forcing his broken and twisted body to move enough to allow them all the way down to the depths of the lair to drag his maddened childe kicking and screaming out of his Nest of flesh. It was abhorent. But even more so that this thing was related to him by blood even before he created it. They chose to spare it. Instead purging that creature of his path. The Salubri. He finally got to see one of them work. One of the clans he could never learn of or document. The woman's name was Naomi and she had been hiding among the Gangrel in Ireland. Such a marvel she was. He regrettably did not get much time with her as he was still trapped in his flesh prison. Warped in form.
His Childe was still cured, and now Leon as well. His body remained broken, but not much longer as the same Gangrel who had brought the Salubri convinced "Fiend" to restore his sire's body before they left for another land. To leave him incharge of the haven and Los Angeles. Of course this was not an easy thing to convince him of and Fiend was reluctant. Yet eventually he had his body restored. Some pieces had to be taken from others to put him back as he was. He still cursed the monster of a Childe, but he could resume his studies again. Now trying to teach and readjust the recently uncorrupted Leon. Trying to build empathy and attachment using animals first to little success.
Corneliu has spent the past few years delving back into his study of the Antediluvians, their history, and anything he can to stave off the pressure he feels in the back of his mind. Despite his dislike for the Tremere, he cursed the loss of their texts and knowledge. That hoarded library of information could have helped them in their endeavors. Yet in keeping it ferreted to themself they cost them so much with their destruction.
Relationships
History
Corneliu is a violent zealot. Persephone is a bleeding heart. Of course they would never get along. But when Corneliu began to slaughter the people that Persephone was on a mission to save because they were held by Pentex, Seph grew desperate. She asked her golem Ahati to hold him off while she helped the ones she could to escape. Corneliu shattered her golem. Seph will never forgive him for that, nor for killing the people who she had determined to protect.
Species
Date of Death
January 12, 1259
Year of Death
1259
Birthplace
Transylvania
Spouses
Siblings
Children
